Gusu Caiyun Bridge

Gusu Caiyun Bridge

Gusu Caiyun Bridge is a cultural relic protection unit of Suzhou City.

Caiyun Bridge is a bridge located in the northwest outskirts of Suzhou, situated at Bantang on Shantang Street, spanning the Shantang River.

Originally a wooden plank bridge, it was first built in the fourth year of the Tianxi era during the Song Dynasty (1020). The *Bantang Chronicles* record: “The bridge lies to the right of Bantang Temple, crossing the Shantang River. In the fourth year of Tianxi, it was reconstructed on the original site as a stone bridge and named Caiyun.” It was rebuilt as a stone slab bridge in the first year of the Zhenghe era. It was renovated during the Ming Dynasty’s Jiajing era. In the early Qing Dynasty, the southern abutment was damaged and was repaired in the third year of the Kangxi era by Monk Shibao. In 1955, it was reconstructed as a stone slab bridge with wooden railings. In 1975, it was rebuilt as a single-span reinforced concrete bridge with iron railings.

The bridge runs parallel to the railway bridge. It is a single-span reinforced concrete bridge with a span of 7.4 meters, a width of 3 meters, and a length of 7.9 meters.